Mutable Medley
by Chiera
Summary: A collection of random IchiRuki drabbles I have written for my friend's prompts. Genres may vary. AU.
1. Like A Game Of Chess

**Chie: **Please note, that every chapter of this story is a standalone drabble between 100 and 1,000 words I have written as a response to my friend's prompt. These do not all add up to one cohesive story, but are wholly independent of one another.

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><p><span><strong>1. Like A Game Of Chess<strong>

**Prompt:** Like a Game of Chess

**Setting:** Bakumatsu-esque AU

**Genre:** Drama, Romance

**948 Words**

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><p>"Here's to the new alliance! Kanpai!"<p>

Ichigo smiled and raised his sake dish, bowing his head to Ishida before he downed the drink.

The servants of the tea house had laid quite the feast on the table.

"You know, the only things this celebration is lacking are music and girls," Mizuiro smirked from across the table. Ichigo rolled his eyes, but Ishida simply hummed.

"Worry not, Kojima-san," the Ishida heir spoke, "the entertainment is well taken care of."

Ichigo quirked his brow, but before he could ask, a servant announced the person's arrival and slid the door open.

Her small, delicate hands formed a perfect triangle as they graced the tatami. She bowed down gracefully and then slowly straightened, well aware of the way all eyes in the room were drawn to her.

A small, teasing smile played on her red lips.

"Please come in, Rukia-san," Ishida beckoned.

The woman rose with fluid elegance, and Ichigo stared as she crossed the room. Her steps small and delicate, he beautiful kimono whispering as she seated herself down, right between Ishida and him.

"Thank you for your patronage, Ishida-sama," she spoke, her voice deep and melodic. "Your invite surprised me, I believed you were partial to Orihime-san."

"Yes, well," Ishida averted his gaze and a faint blush suddenly coloured his cheeks. "Since we're celebrating our alliance with the Kurosaki clan, and I hear you and Kurosaki-san are familiar with one another…"

"Ah, of course," the geisha murmured. She tilted her head, turning towards Ichigo. Her violet eyes were alive with mischievous glimmer. "I am delighted to see you again, Kurosaki-san. It has been too long."

"I've been busy," Ichigo stammered, fumbling toward the sake bottle. His throat was suddenly very dry.

"Please, allow me," Rukia said and picked up the bottle.

Ichigo scowled as he held his sake dish to her. Rukia smiled and with her left hand, held her long kimono sleeve out of the way as she poured the drink.

Ichigo noticed the way Mizuiro's eyes lingered on the geisha's exposed wrist, and had to wrestle down his irritation.

"I'm sure you have been very busy indeed, since you have managed to wrought this allegiance with a clan that once were your rivals," she spoke as she set down the bottle.

Ichigo's scowl deepened.

"The rivalry between our clans was actually established quite recently," Ishida spoke dryly. "Largely because the Kurosaki heiress was originally meant to marry my father."

"Oh, my," Rukia gasped, leaning toward him in her curiosity. "Yes, I suppose that would put a crease in your clans' relationship."

"Indeed."

"So, does this alliance mean that the Kurosaki clan is finally taking a side? The Ishida clan is quite vocal about their support to the Quincy-faction. "

"Must we talk politics? It's such a dry subject," Ichigo cut in, grumbling.

"Oh," Rukia breathed, her eyes twinkling. "I actually find it intriguing. Much like a good game of Shōgi."

"You're an interesting woman, Rukia-san," Ishida spoke, his lips twitching.

"Why thank you, Ishida sama." Rukia glanced at Ichigo. "Well, if Kurosaki-san is weary of talk, perhaps I may strive to entertain you fine gentlemen in other ways."

She called the servants to bring her shamisen.

The party was over. Ishida had already left with his retainers, and Ichigo was making his leave. He glanced at Mizuiro and Sado, before instructing them that he would follow shortly.

Mizuiro grinned at him in a knowing way, but followed the quiet Sado out of the room, sliding the door shut behind him.

"You didn't seem pleased to see me, Ichigo. I'm hurt." the geisha still appeared playful, but her violet eyes were no longer smiling.

"I wasn't expecting to see you," Ichigo said.

"So, it's official now, the alliance. Is the mission going well?" she asked.

"They do not appear to be suspicious of me, I suppose so far, so good."

"I need you to be careful." Her hand darted out and fleetingly rested on his cheek.

"I'm always careful," Ichigo murmured.

Rukia smiled, but her eyes carried a trace of sadness.

"No you're not. You're a rash idiot, and it'll only get more dangerous from now on."

"I know, but this is something only I can do."

She sighed.

"I know."  
>"I need you to tell Kuchiki-san to have someone keep an eye on Ichimaru Gin. I suspect he might be an informant. And the Quincy-faction <em>is<em> preparing for an attack, but it appears they are going to bide their time. Rally more supporters for their cause before they take up arms. There will be a strategy meeting at a tea house in Karakura next Tuesday. I'm sure I'll have more intel on them after that."

Rukia nodded.

"I'll let him know."

For a moment, Ichigo seemed to be fighting an internal battle. In the end, he reached out, pulling the woman into his arms.

"I need you to be careful, too. Don't get caught."

"I know what I'm doing, Ichigo," she said, sounding annoyed. She looked up, locking her gaze with his.

"You're very good at what you do," he admitted, "but that doesn't stop me from worrying."

"Well aren't you sweet," she teased. "But I need you to worry about yourself. You're more at risk than I am."

Rukia's hand snaked up, it brushed the nape of his neck.

"You need to go, before your retainers grow suspicious."

Ichigo nodded. His eyes bore into her and then he leaned down, claiming her lips in a harsh, hasty kiss.

It was a welcome surprise; he rarely chose to initiate intimacy.

And then he was gone, and she was left cursing him for ruining her make-up.


	2. The Vermin And The Ronin

**2. The Vermin And The Ronin**

**Prompt:** Daemon

**Setting:** AU inspired by Philip Pullman's _His Dark Materials_ series

**Genre:** Drama

**1,000 Words**

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><p>Rukia peered into her purse, her growling stomach sinking. Everything was really going from bad to worse. Grimly, she grabbed the remaining coins.<p>

"We'll have to go back to stealing soon," Rukia muttered to her daemon, a lean blue-grey fox trotting by her side.

"We'll do what we must," Shirayuki replied with a canine grin.

Rukia nodded, and scratched the fox's ear.

She used the coins to buy some food from a street vendor. The vendor's daemon, a black cat that sat on his shoulder, stared at them suspiciously.

Walking away from the market, Rukia saw two children huddling further down the street, their dirty faces forlorn. She glanced at the _onigiri_ and peach she had just purchased with her last coins, and then looked at Shirayuki.

"No helping it, then," the daemon said, shrugging his grey shoulders.

Rukia walked over to the children and crouched down in front of them. Their daemons, two grey mice, skittered away and vanished into the folds of the children's tattered _kimono_. The kids stared at her, their wide eyes fearful.

"Here," she said gently.

Their hopeless eyes brightened and they hastily snatched the _onigiri_ and the fruit from her. Rukia straightened herself and watched them scurry away, her empty stomach rumbling.

"What now?" Shirayuki asked in a low voice.

"The usual," Rukia replied, both resigned and determined. They turned and walked back to the market.

Shirayuki slunk to the ground, sneaking around one stall, while Rukia casually loitered near the neighbouring one, waiting until the stall-keeper and his daemon were distracted by the two customers. Her hand darted out, quick as a snake, and snatched one of the _dango_ from the grill. She bit in, savouring the taste and walked casually among the stalls, inspecting the wares. Shirayuki appeared back at her side, and dropped a tangerine to her palm. The fruit quickly disappeared in the sleeve of her worn, faded _kimono_. Their routine held through and they managed to store away few more fruits and even some choice _onigiri_, until finally, just as Rukia had helped herself to some yakitori, she suddenly cried out loud in pain. She whipped around and saw that Shirayuki had been discovered, the vendor's watchful jackdaw daemon was screaming as it attacked the fox, pecking, clawing, and aiming for the eyes. Shirayuki snapped furiously at the bird, but the commotion was already drawing attention. Rukia gritted her teeth as she felt each peck and scratch in her heart.

"Thief!" someone yelled.

"Shit," Rukia spat. There was no helping it now. "Run," she hissed to Shirayuki.

And they rushed off together, both smaller and quicker than the men clamouring after them. Rukia angrily bit into her stolen _yakitori_ and gobbled the meat in a hurry as they ran.

They had almost got away, too, when rounding a corner, Rukia hit something quite solid. She bounded back but two large hands quickly gripped her shoulders and steadied her. She looked at the stranger, noting that he was wearing a dark _haori_ and matching _hakama_, a straw hat that shadowed half his face, and a _katana_ strapped to his hip.

_Rōnin_, Rukia deduced immediately – except, unlike a usual hawk or cat or even a wolverine, his daemon had taken the shape of a badger.

"You okay?" he asked, sounding gruff.

Her lips parted, and she was about to answer, when one of her pursuers yelled from behind.

"Hey, you! Catch that thieving bitch!"

Shirayuki snarled, its usually sleek blue-grey fur sticking up and Rukia recovered from her daze. Her violet eyes flashing, she tried to twist away but the rōnin tightened his grip. He turned her, bringing her flush against his side, but never let go of her shoulder.

His badger daemon trotted unhurriedly forward and stopped to stand in front of her daemon, calm and unyielding like a rock. Shirayuki stopped snarling and crouched down.

"Is there a problem here, guys?" he asked from the angry vendors.

"Yes! That filthy thief stole our merchandise!"

Rukia glared at them defiantly, her jaw set and violet eyes proud.

_It was either that or starve_, she wanted to retort, but knew that voicing the words would gain her nothing, the food vendors would not care. They treated all the street kids with disdain and regarded them the same as the rats scurrying about the gutters – _vermin_.

The rōnin huffed and dug a pouch from his sleeve, the coins within clinked merrily as the pouch landed on the dusty street.

"That should cover for it, eh?"

The vendors eyed him dubiously, but one of them retrieved the pouch and peeked inside. He seemed mollified enough. Few others seemed like they wanted to argue, but none of them dared to, not while the strange man was casually resting his right hand on the hilt of his sword. The vendors started to pull away, muttering to each other, but one of them turned to call:

"If I catch you stealing my food again, I will kill you, little bitch!"

"You're welcome to try," Rukia hissed, but the man didn't hear her.

The rōnin apparently did, judging by his chuckle.

Rukia peered up, and from her place right by his side, could see under the edge of the straw-had, catching a peek of brown eyes and wild orange hair. He was much younger than she had thought at first, maybe even younger than she was.

The badger daemon gently nudged Shirayuki's jaw with its black nose, and the fox daemon regarded her, his golden eyes wide with curiosity.

Rukia finally shrugged his arm off her shoulder and took a step back.

"You didn't really answer my question," he reminded her after a moment of silence.

"What question?"

"Are you okay?"

"I suppose I am now. Don't expect me to thank you, though. I didn't ask for your help."

"Well, you got it anyway, girl," he replied.

She regarded him for a moment as Shirayuki hesitantly sniffed the badger.

"It's not 'girl'," she spoke finally. "It's Rukia."

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><p><strong>Chie:<strong> Due to the word limit, I wasn't able to include one plot twist I had planned, mainly that Ichigo actually is not a Ronin but a real Samurai from the Shiba clan.


	3. First Snow

**Chie: **This drabble is a sequel to my old one-shot _Ice Princess_, but it also works as a standalone. :)

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><p><span><strong>3. First Snow<strong>

**Prompt:** First Snow

**Setting:** Modern Day AU

**Genre:** Full-on Fluff

**708 Words**

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><p>Ichigo suppressed a shiver and pulled his coat around him tighter. The hall was cool, but he forgot about it soon enough when the dramatic music suddenly blasted from the speakers. Rukia exploded into action, gliding across the ice with ease while living the music, her usually guarded face now glowing with open joy. Her glide slowed down and she launched herself into a twirling jump. She landed gracefully and continued into a long slide and then turned to skate backwards for a moment before she started spinning on the spot, her other leg rising in the air, extending perfectly behind her.<p>

It wasn't the athleticism or the effort she put into it that made her skating so captivating to watch. It wasn't even how expressive she became on the ice, how the smallest of her movements told a story.

It was the elegance. How she made it all look so _easy_ even when Ichigo knew she had been honing her skills for over ten years.

Rukia had slowed down on the ice, the orchestral music finally fading. She stopped moving and struck a pose. Ichigo straightened and rubbed his hands together before applauding the performance. Rukia flashed a quick smile and then skated over to where Ichigo was leaning against the side of the ice rink.

Her cheeks were flushed.

"So, what do you think?" she asked him breathlessly.

"I think you were awesome, but then you always are awesome."

Rukia huffed and playfully slapped his arm.

"Fat load of good, you are," she complained. "Why do I even keep you around?"

"So you can always have a punching bag at hand," Ichigo grumbled, rubbing his arm.

"I still need to practise the axel and the lutz, so you can go," Rukia said, idly playing with the end of Ichigo's muffler.

"Nah, I'll stick around. We could go and grab a bite together afterwards, like last time?"

"Sure," Rukia smiled.

Silence fell and they stood close together, trying to ignore the tension. Then, Rukia let go of Ichigo's muffler and slid back to the centre of the ice.

"The same family restaurant from last time okay?" Ichigo asked when they met in the lobby of the ice rink.

"I'm absolutely famished, I don't care where we go as long as there's food."

"I'll take that as a 'yes', then," Ichigo smirked.

They stepped outside in a companionable silence.

Rukia gasped, looking up to the cloudy sky.

"Look, it's snowing!"

"The first snow," Ichigo said, drinking in the joyous smile on Rukia's face. "Well, it's already December."

"Yeah. Christmas will be here soon," Rukia murmured, pulling her muffler to cover her chin.

She started to regret bringing up Christmas, when the silence suddenly fell over them. She had hoped, of course… They'd become cozy with one another and they spent a lot of time together, both at school and outside school, but no matter how close they were, they still were just friends, although she hoped…

Well, maybe she hoped in vain.

She watched the soft white flakes flutter through the air. The snow was a welcome sight, but she knew it wouldn't stay on the ground.

"Do you have any plans for Christmas?" Ichigo asked after a while, his voice uncharacteristically hesitant.

Rukia bit her lip, clutching she strap of her duffel bag tighter. The confession was bubbling under the surface. What would happen if she voiced it? What would happen if she didn't?

Rukia took a deep breath.

"None," she admitted.

The silence descended again, curling around them.

When it was broken, it was because the two of them had started to speak at the same time.

"Maybe… you could spend Christmas with me?"

"I was hoping we'd spend it together…"

The words rang in the air. They both stopped and turned to stare at each other. Ichigo's cheeks were pink – and not only from the cold. Rukia felt giddy, and her lips were twitching.

"So…?" she prompted.

"So you wanna spend Christmas with me?" he repeated.

"Yes," she breathed, closing their distance.

Her hands wrapped around him on their own accord, her smiling face turned upwards.

A snowflake landed on her cheek. It tickled.

But not as much as his lips, firmly pressing against hers.


	4. Rush Hour

**4. Rush Hour**

**Prompt: **Why do they call it rush hour when nothing moves? _(Robin Williams)_

**Setting:** Modern Day AU

**Genre:** Romance

**813 Words**

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><p>Rukia hated the commute to school. The morning rush hours were infernal, the trains were always packed to the brim. She hated to be squished in the car, standing in the crowd of students and salarymen and office ladies who often towered over her. She would reek of someone's cologne even as she reached the school gates. In private, Rukia was quite particular about her personal space, but the morning train gave no mercy and left her no options but to be squeezed between the bodies, fighting to stay upright and ignoring the people bumping into her.<p>

Her only solace during these torturous mornings was a certain student who had caught her eye. He commuted always the same time she did, together with two or three other boys, all in the grey uniform of Karakura high. His friends were loud sometimes, which was why she had glanced over at them that very first time. But her gaze had instantly landed on him, attracted by his wild orange hair and irritated scowl.

At first she watched him just because he reminded her of her first crush. Then she began to wonder just what made him so annoyed, the frown never seemed to leave his forehead.

For weeks, she travelled with him on the same train every morning. She didn't think he had paid any attention to her, after all, he usually was chatting with his friends. She had never seriously considered going over to him or talking to him or anything. She was perfectly comfortable with admiring him from afar. Really, it was just nice to have some eye candy, something to distract her from the utter discomfort of being trapped in the crowd. That was all there was to it.

Then came one miserable Monday morning. It had been grey and gloomy all weekend, the rain had been absolutely pouring down. It still rained cats and dogs when Rukia entered the subway station, trying to navigate the crowd the best she could and dodge other people's wet umbrellas. There were even more people than usual, and when entering the car she was forced almost to a corner. Then, at the next station, even more people flooded the train car. The influx of people pushed her further, until she couldn't back away anymore, he back coming in contact with someone else. She fought her wish squirm in disgust, feeling the bodies press against her at all directions. The train started moving again, with a jerk that made her stumble and collide against the person behind her again. A dark curse slipped her lips. She hated feeling this clumsy, but the handle hanging from the ceiling was just out of her reach so she couldn't really support herself. Fighting down the frustration, she turned to look over her shoulder and apologise to the person whose personal space she was invading, but the words died on her tongue when she realised it was _him_.

His scowl was fiercer than ever. His posture was stiff, hands stuffed into his pockets. His face was very red, even the tips of his ears were tinted pink, and he was resolutely avoiding looking at her.

Rukia's lips twitched, and the giggle escaped before she even fully realised it was bubbling up her throat. His gaze flitted to her, his blush deepened. She bit her lip to stifle her mirth, but she couldn't stop the amused glimmer of her violet eyes. His brown eyes were boring into hers; they made her think of a deer caught in the headlights.

A mischievous smirk slowly spreading onto her lips, she purposefully leaned a little closer. He immediately looked away, though she felt his fingers twitch involuntarily against the small of her back.

"I'm _terribly_ sorry," she told him, though the lilt of her voice quite contradicted her apology.

His scowl darkened, and he grudgingly met her eyes. Somehow, he looked quite vulnerable. It was utterly adorable.

"It's okay," he mumbled gruffly.

She smiled, shifting her weight so she was no longer leaning against him.

The train braked as the reached a station and Rukia stumbled again. She cringed, about to swing into a fellow passenger's soaked umbrella, when a hand wrapped around her shoulder, steading her. She turned, and this time he met her eyes.

"Thank you," she breathed, flashing him a brilliant smile.

"No problem," he said.

The train had stopped moving. The doors were opening and she needed to get off.

"Umm, this is my stop," she told him, her eyes dancing with laughter.

"Huh?" he grunted. Then, he realised he was still holding on to her. He quickly snatched his hand away and shoved it back into his pocket. "Sorry."

His cheeks flushed again, and she chuckled.

"It's alright," she told him.

As she followed the commuters out and stepped onto the platform, she could still feel her shoulder tingling.


	5. Resolution

**5. Resolution**

**Prompt:** The song _Maailma on tehty meitä varten_ [The world was made for us] by Haloo Helsinki.

**Setting: **Canon, around Volume 7 Chapter 58

**Genre:** Slice Of Life

**765 Words**

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><p>Even though his wounds had been healed and the medicine he had got from the sandal hat guy worked wonders, his whole body was still hurting. It was not the sharp pain he had first felt upon waking, the throbbing agony that made him realise he was <em>alive<em>. It had become a dull ache, much milder but still constantly there. Ichigo squeezed his hand and watched it ball into a fist. He felt weak, and not only because he had lost his shinigami powers. He had only narrowly managed to escape from the jaws of death. The guy who had taken him down had not even broken a sweat during their fight. He would have crushed him like a bug, if Rukia hadn't interfered.

Rukia…

They had taken her with them. They said she had committed a crime and that she would be executed. They would kill her, because she had helped Ichigo save his family. Ishida had said that only he could save her, and the sandal hat guy had told him that if he went over to the Soul Society like he was now, he would only be getting himself killed.

The words had stung him, because he knew it was true. That one shinigami alone had managed to completely overpower him. He had struck him down, ripped his powers away from him and left him on the pavement to bleed and die. The sandal hat guy said he would train him, ready him for the trip to Soul Society. Ichigo felt torn. He did not want to waste any time, he was too agitated and impatient to sit around while Rukia was facing a death sentence. Then again, even if he did train, would ten days be enough? Could he really grow strong enough to take on the whole of Soul Society in such a short time?

What good would training now do, anyway? He couldn't become a shinigami anymore, and he had lost his sword.

And yet somehow, the most unsettling thing about this all was how Rukia was _gone_. Life went on and school was the same as always. His friends goofed around, and a classmate he didn't even really know now sat on the desk beside his. No one mentioned Rukia. Her name didn't come up in the roll call. No one wondered where she had gone.

Her whole existence, erased. And no one even batted an eye, no one remembered…

It felt decidedly bizarre. It had only been two months, but somehow she had become such a fixture in his life that he had forgotten that she never belonged to this world to begin with. The thought upset him. She had left, but only to return to _her_ world. Did he really have a right to drag her back? What if she wanted to stay?

Life would just ease into its old tracks even without her. He would get used to it too, the wrongness, the emptiness of it. The world would keep turning, and he would be the only one who knew, whom she had left behind, whose life she had touched. _He_ was the mark she had made, and maybe…

Ichigo looked at the clouds, lazily swimming on the blue sky. He shook his head. The ache in his chest stilled, his mind was made, his resolve strengthened.

No.

It didn't matter that she didn't belong to his world. It didn't matter if she wanted to stay in Soul Society. He wasn't going to let her die. It was his fault in part as well, she had offered him a way to save his family and he had jumped at the chance, accepting her sword.

He would fight. He would train with the sandal hat guy, he would go to the Soul Society, and he would get her back. There simply wasn't any other option.

Because it had only been two months, but nothing was the same anymore. Because she had left her mark on his world. Because the very day they had met, she had sacrificed herself, and turned him into a shinigami. She had saved his life and the lives of his family. She had changed him. She had given him power, the power with which he could fight. The power with which he could protect. He owed to her.

So he was going to make good of that. He was going to pay back his debt. He was going to get stronger so that once again, he could fight. So that he could protect _her_.

He would save Rukia, Soul Society be damned!

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><p><strong>Chie:<strong> The chorus of the song served as an inspiration for this. Freely translated:

_I stand here, my chest full of longing_

_Even if this were to end in just one evening_

_The world is mine, the world is yours_

_The world was made for us_

_Every one of us will leave their mark_

As I recently began to re-read the manga, it reminded me of Ichigo's resolution and motivation to rescue Rukia in the SS arc.


	6. Bleach On The Beach

**6. Bleach On The Beach**

**Prompt:** Swimsuit Competition

**Setting:** Canon

**Genre:** Humour

**736 Words**

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><p>"Hello, ladies!"<p>

Tatsuki rolled her eyes before she turned around to see a good-looking young man smiling at them. They had only arrived at the beach ten minutes ago and already there was a guy hitting on them? Maybe offering to go get drinks and separating from the boys had not been such a great idea; they would at least be good to fend off annoying guys wanting to pick them up.

Well, maybe not them as much as _her_, Tatsuki thought dryly, glancing sideways at her ample-bosomed best friend.

"I was wondering if you could help me," the young man continued, cutting through Tatsuki's dry thoughts and launching into an explanation. "We're having a special event here today, a swimsuit competition, to celebrate the launch of a new swimsuit line for our clothing brand HANASAKI. Would you like to participate?"

"No thanks," Tatsuki said bluntly.

"Eh, I don't know…" Orihime hedged.

"We have a selection of swimsuits from our new collection, from which you have to choose a style befitting to yourself. And the best part is that you will get to keep the swimsuit you choose! In addition, the winner of the contest will get a gift card to our store."

"It sounds like fun, but I don't know if I'd be any good," Orihime hesitated.

"You'll do fine, Orihime," Tatsuki told her.

"Do you want me to come with you, Inoue?" Rukia asked, turning to look at her friend.

"Would you, Kuchiki-san?"

"Sure, it sounds interesting," the petite shinigami shrugged.

"Great!" the promoter beamed at them, and handled numbered slips to both Orihime and Rukia. "The contest will be held two hours from now at the stage near the beach hut. Please be there ten minutes early, and good luck to you both!"

"Thanks," Rukia said, stuffing her number into the pocket of her light blue dress.

"You know that Asano will go nuts when he hears there will be a swimsuit competition and both of you are participating," Tatsuki sighed.

Orihime blushed lightly, when she suddenly realised that the boys would likely be watching the competition.

_I wonder what kind of a swimsuit Kurosaki-kun likes_…

"Well he'd better root for us," Rukia huffed.

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><p>The girls returned to their small claimed spot on the sand, with the drinks, finding only Ichigo, Ishida and Sado there. Kojima and Asano were gone. Either for a swim or to pick up girls, Tatsuki mused.<p>

"You're late," Ichigo complained, "what took you so long?"

"We got propositioned by a handsome young man," Tatsuki quipped.

"Propositioned _how_?" Ishida stammered, pushing up his glasses and trying not to be too obviously staring at Orihime.

"Inoue and I agreed to participate in a swimsuit competition." Rukia announced, tilting back her straw hat.

"W-What?!" Ichigo spluttered. "Why?"

"It sounded fun," Orihime said, flushing.

"And we get to keep the swimsuits we choose," Rukia added.

"I'm not sure it's such a good idea to go up on a stage to prance around in a _swimsuit_." Ichigo insisted, crossing his arms. _And to be ogled by a bunch of strangers... _He added in his thoughts_. …And Keigo._

"Hah? You're telling me I can't do it?" Rukia retorted, her eyes flashing and chest puffing.

_Shit_.

"No, that's _not_ what I said," Ichigo argued, growing irritated in return. Why couldn't Rukia be reasonable just this once?

"Are you saying that I'm not going to win because I'm not attractive enough?"

"Wha – No! Stop putting words in my mouth!"

"I'm going to show you, I'm going to win this thing!"

"Yeah, sure. Whatever! You're not listening to me anyway."

"Plenty of people find me attractive even if you don't!"

"Bitch! You didn't hear me at all! I never said _anything_ about you not being attractive!"

He hadn't really realised how loud they had been shouting until now that silence was ringing in their ears. Rukia had thankfully shut up and was staring at him with a mysterious glint in her violet eyes. Ichigo glanced around, noticing that his friends' reactions were equally bizarre. Tatsuki was grinning, Inoue looked wide-eyed and shocked, Ishida was decidedly _not_ looking at them, and Chad was giving him the thumbs-up.

What? What were they all staring at? Why – ?

And then Ichigo replayed that last sentence he had shouted in his head, realising that – although roundabout – it very much it sounded like an admission that he thought Rukia was pretty.

_Shit_.


	7. One For The Team

**7. One For The Team**

**Prompt:** A Celebrity

**Setting:** Modern Day AU

**Genre:** Drama, Romance

**999 Words**

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><p>Rukia stared into the mirror, smoothing the front of her dress for the umpteenth time. She was glad her hands weren't shaking. She was rather proud, actually, that none of her nervousness showed on the outside. She had always been rather uncomfortable to be put on the spotlight, a rather unfortunate quality for a daughter of a wealthy and prominent family. Although she personally had had little to do with the multi-million company their family had founded some 80 years ago, her older brother always having been the heir to the fortune, she had never managed to escape all these nonsensical events; balls, dinners, fundraisers, charity work and galas of all sorts. It all came with the impressive name, and that was her cross to bear. In just a few minutes, she'd be out there, on the stage and in the spotlight, forced to speak to a room full of people.<p>

It was the annual gala where they awarded Japan's athletes. The evening was about to reach its peak, because only one award was left to be given away, the one rewarding the sportsperson of the year. The Kuchiki Corporation had rather generously sponsored some of the year's sporting events, so it hadn't altogether been a huge surprise to be invited to present the award. But why the honour had been granted to her and not her brother, Rukia had no idea.

A production assistant appeared in the doorway and informed it was time to go. Rukia heaved a sigh and cast one last longing look at her dressing room. Then she squared her shoulders and confidently walked out of the room. She stopped at the side of the stage and stood there for a moment. Another production assistant handed her the envelope containing the name of the winner, which she gracefully accepted. Then, the host of the gala announced her name to the audience. Schooling a suitably demure expression on her face, she walked out to the spotlight accompanied by the whole large hall's booming applause.

She stopped at the podium and faced the crowd. There was a host of tables just by the stage, in which sat the notable guests; athletes, coaches, board members of sports associations, politicians, sponsors…

Somewhere in the sea of people sat her brother and his wife, though the thought didn't offer her much reassurance.

"Our evening and this great gala is drawing to close. There is only one award left to be presented, and it is my great honour to give away the award for the sportsperson of the year. So, without further ado, let's see who of our great athletes we have as our nominees."

Rukia stood still as the screens played the pre-taped introductions. A popular baseball player was the first, female figure skater up next, and at last there was the football promise that had been dubbed the young Honda Keisuke.

The video ended, and all eyes in the hall were back on Rukia. She determinedly stamped down the urge to clear her throat. She gracefully opened the envelope in her hands.

"And the award for the best sportsperson of the year goes to – " she spoke into the microphone, and pulled the card from inside the envelope, taking in the name neatly printed upon it. "Kurosaki Ichigo."

She set the envelope down on the podium so she could applaud among the rest of the hall while the young man with the wild orange hair made his way up towards the stage. Rukia took small comfort in how he seemed to be just as ill at ease in his tux as she felt to be up here in the spotlight.

He was coming up the steps now, and Rukia picked up the award from the podium and turned away from the audience. The football player stopped in front of her, and Rukia congratulated him, and then offered him the award together with a graceful bow. He seemed somewhat awkward and flustered about it all, but took his prize, his fingers brushing against hers.

Feeling grateful that the centre of attention had shifted from her to Kurosaki-san, Rukia stepped to the side so he could give his acceptance speech.

He was grateful and honoured and thanked his teammates both at the Asian Cup and the ones with whom he had played for the Champions League in Europe as well as his family and friends. Quite the usual pleasantries, but he sounded earnest.

And then, finally, she could retreat back to the obscurity of the back stage. As the host and hostess of the evening wrapped up the gala and thanked all the parties involved and congratulated all the winners, Rukia walked across the stage side by side with Kurosaki Ichigo. Once they were out of sight, Rukia started toward her dressing room. She had only walked a few steps when she suddenly stumbled over a cable that had been stretched out across the floor. To her luck, Kurosaki-san was but a step behind, a professional sportsman with excellent reflexes. Rukia found herself grabbed from behind and felt her back come in contact with his chest before she had even fully realised what was happening. He let her go as soon as he'd make sure she had regained her balance and Rukia turned to him.

"Thank you, Kurosaki-san," she told him, both grateful and mortified. She wasn't usually so clumsy.

"No problem," he said, rubbing the back of his neck, "and Ichigo's fine."

"Well, you've certainly earned your award," she said, the corner of her lips twisting.

His cheeks flushed slightly, and he looked at her almost in awe.

With a polite smile, Rukia turned to leave.

"Ah, Kuchiki-san?"

"Rukia," she corrected him, turning back to face him.

"Rukia," he amended, "are you in a hurry home?"

"Maybe," she frowned. "Why?"

"Well, there's this after-party and, well…"

"Yes?" she coaxed.

"Maybe you'd like to come?"

She considered the offer for a moment; then flashed him a small smile.

"I'd be delighted."


	8. Meet The Family

**8. Meet The Family**

**Prompt:** Meet The Family

**Setting:** Modern Day AU (High School)

**Genre:** General, Humour

**1,000 Words**

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><p>"I'm home," Ichigo called at the door. He helped his friend over the threshold and across the entryway. As his friend sank gratefully to sit on the wooden floor, Ichigo bent to remove his shoes.<p>

"I'll be right back," he promised, and then, without waiting for a reply, disappeared through the door into the house.

He found both his sisters in the kitchen, Yuzu was cooking while Karin sat at the dining table, reading manga.

"Welcome back, Ichi-nii!" Yuzu chirped, flashing him a smile before turning back to stir the curry sauce in the frying pan.

"Mh, yeah," Ichigo mumbled as an acknowledgement of the greeting. "Where's the old man?"

"He's finishing up at the clinic," Karin reported, peering at him over her manga volume. "Why?"

"Can you go get him?"

Karin raised her brow. Ichigo could tell she was curious and he didn't really blame her. His father was very annoying and juvenile more often than not, so it was more like Ichigo to avoid him rather than seek him out. Thankfully, though, Karin got up and left the kitchen without a word.

His other sister wasn't as adept with containing her curiosity.

"What is it, Ichi-nii?"

"I brought him a patient," Ichigo explained curtly. "Walking home, I ran into a schoolmate who had been injured."

"Oh, I hope he's okay!" Yuzu commiserated.

A door opened further along the corridor and then a bearded middle-aged man wearing a white lab coat was lunging through the air.

"Welcome home, Ichigoooooo – OUCH!"

"Yeah yeah, we can skip all that," Ichigo grouched, his annoyance spiking.

"Ichi-nii's brought a friend over who's hurt," Yuzu cut in, sensing the brewing squabble.

"Oh? Well, why didn't you tell me that in the first place?" Isshin scoffed, his silliness instantly replaced by seriousness. "Let's go."

Ichigo and Isshin walked along the corridor back to the front door, as Karin sat back down at the dinner table.

"This is Kuchiki-senpai from the kendo club," Ichigo introduced his friend, "Kuchiki-senpai, this is my father."

"It's nice to meet you Kuchiki-san," Isshin smiled before he slipped fully into a work mode. "Now, let's have a look."

Gingerly, he eased the blood-stained white sneaker off her foot. Her sock was soaked through and she peeled it off with a grimace, revealing a deep gash at the sole of her foot.

"It might need a stitch or two," Isshin murmured to himself, before turning to speak to the two teenagers. "Let's get you inside, shall we? Ichigo, help her. I'll go get the supplies."

Ichigo nodded and helped Kuchiki-senpai up, helping her hobble along the corridor. They entered the kitchen and ignored his sisters' surprised stares. He walked her over to the living room couch and she sank down onto the cushions. Few seconds later Isshin was back and set to work.

While their father was seeing to the wound under Ichigo's supervision, Yuzu fidgeted in the kitchen. Then, she set down her chopsticks, grabbed Karin's arm and dragged her twin-sister out of the room.

"Hey, what gives?" Karin demanded to know the minute the door closed behind them.

"It's a girl," Yuzu breathed out in wonder. "Ichi-nii brought home a girl!"

"Well, he brought her over because she was injured," Karin pointed out. "Besides, he's brought a girl over before in middle school."

"Yeah but this girl looks so different from Tatsuki-chan," Yuzu said breathlessly, "She seems more like, how do you say… a girly girl!"

"You're reading too much into it," Karin sighed. The light-haired girl pursed her lips.

"I don't know, I get the feeling there's something there."

Karin shook her head but didn't say anything. She already knew that nothing she said would really deter Yuzu.

The twins slinked back into the room. Ichigo's friend was still sitting on the couch, her foot all wrapped up. Their father was sitting on the couch beside her, grinning widely and chatting away, while Ichigo was glowering beside them.

Karin plopped back down at the dinner table and picked up her manga. Yuzu went back to cooking, while throwing covert glances towards the couch and keeping her ears trained that way.

Then, finally, when there was a lull in the conversation at the other end of the room, Yuzu had to jump at the chance.

"Ichi-nii, is your friend staying for dinner?"

Ichigo's stomach plummeted. He knew it had been a terrible idea to bring Kuchiki-senpai over, even though it had been unavoidable. His family was just so insane, and Kuchiki-senpai was great. Any image he had tried to build at the kendo club, in front of her, would totally be in ruins the longer senpai stayed at his house.

She was staring him now, her violet eyes wide. Obviously the question had startled her.

"That's a wonderful idea, Yuzu!" Isshin grinned in delight. "Please, Rukia-chan, do stay."

"I don't know," Kuchiki-senpai started hesitantly. "I don't want to be a bother."

"It wouldn't be a bother at all!" Yuzu insisted. "We've got plenty of food."

"We'd love for you to stay," Isshin implored. "Unless of course you're in a hurry to go home."

"Well, my brother's on a business trip so there's really no one waiting for me…"

"That's great then! You'll stay, won't you?"

"It's decided, Rukia-chan will have dinner with the Kurosakis tonight!" Isshin declared.

Ichigo felt torn. On one hand, the idea of having dinner together with Kuchiki-senpai filled him with awe a little. On the other hand, the rest of his family would unfortunately be present as well, and she would get to experience first-hand how annoying they could get.

He glanced at Kuchiki-senpai, only to find her staring at him. There was a questioning look in her eyes and he shrugged. She flashed him a small smile, before turning to his father.

"Very well then, I guess I'll be staying."

"Great!" Isshin enthused, giving Yuzu the thumb-up. "Oh, and later, Ichigo will walk you home."

Ichigo swallowed a groan. This would be one long evening.


	9. Blossoming

**9. Blossoming**

**Prompt:** Shadow Of A Truth

**Setting:** High School AU feat. Cross-dressing Trope

**Genre:** Drama, Humour

**1,000 Words**

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><p>Ichigo pounded on the bathroom door again.<p>

"Oi, Rukia! How long are you planning on staying there?"

His roommate didn't respond, and Ichigo's angry scowl darkened. Seriously, he had wanted to get to bed early, too; his club was having an extra practice in the morning, before classes. He needed to brush his teeth, but of course the damn pipsqueak of a roommate was hogging the bathroom.

Growling under his breath, Ichigo's fist once again repeatedly met with the resolute wooden surface.

"I'm warning you!" he yelled. "You don't come out of there in five seconds, I'm going to break this door!"

Eerie silence rang in his ears.

"I mean it!" he threatened.

Still nothing.

_That's it_!

"One – " he started counting in a loud voice.

He reached five. The door stayed locked, and Rukia remained in the bathroom.

"Fine, have it your way then," Ichigo muttered under his breath, and took a few swift steps back. The third time he rammed into the door shoulder-first, the wood finally gave in and he stumbled into the bathroom.

"See, I told you!" he said, brushing his clothes. "Just so you, I'll make sure they'll bill the repairs to you, because it was because of your insufferable – "

Ichigo's irritated rant died the second he finally laid eyes on his roommate. Rukia was lying in a heap on the bathroom floor. In his hurry to scramble over to him, Ichigo almost stepped on the hairbrush that had fallen onto the floor.

"Rukia!" he shouted, kneeling down to his side. He grabbed a hold of him, and brushed his hair out of his eyes to see if there were any wounds on him.

Shit, he was burning up!

Instantly, he recalled how yesterday, Rukia had been complaining about a sore throat, and how his voice had been down all day. He must have caught a cold, and now he was running a fever.

"You damn idiot," Ichigo grumbled, gathering the lithe body into his arms. "Why didn't you say you were sick?"

Huffing to himself, he stood up, cradling his roommate close to his chest – and then, instantly, he froze.

It felt wrong.

Ichigo's eyes widened, as his hand automatically traced the shape hidden by Rukia's big hoodie. There was something on his chest that shouldn't have been there. The curve of his hip propped against his arms too pronounced.

"Fuck," Ichigo hissed, staring down at the pale, unconscious face. It wasn't like the thought had never crossed his mind before… Hell, the guys had been laughing at Rukia from the start, calling him a shorty, saying he looked girly... but still, Ichigo had never actually _believed_ it to be true. Despite the bunny plushies decorating his bed, there was really nothing that girlish about his behaviour. Rukia was blunt, and an able kendoka. He had a big appetite and was never flustered when Keigo burst into their room in just his underwear.

And yet…

There was no way in hell this body in his arms belonged to a guy.

The inevitable admission finally sinking in, Ichigo flushed bright red and rushed out of the bathroom.

His heart was racing in his chest. His chest, which was pressed tight against his – _her _– chest. Ichigo's blush darkened and he hurried across the room. He stopped at Rukia's bedside and pulled off the covers. Gently, he laid his roommate down and carefully tucked her in. Then, he collapsed onto the floor and buried his face in his hands.

_Oh god. Rukia was a girl. _

He was sharing a room with a girl.

What should he do? He _couldn't_ share a room with a girl… But then again, if he told anyone Rukia would likely be expelled, and he really didn't want that, either. He couldn't fathom _why_ she would have enrolled herself in an all boys' school. He couldn't understand why she needed to go so far as to disguise herself and dress as a boy. But she must have had a reason, a very important one, to go through all the trouble.

No, he had to keep this under the wraps. He wanted Rukia to stay.

Yet, knowing his roommate was in fact a _girl_… How was he supposed to keep a straight face around her? How was he supposed to meet her eyes?

"Aaaaargh!" Ichigo yelled, scratching his head in helpless frustration.

Then, his stomach suddenly gave a sick lurch.

Rukia!

He had forgotten about Rukia. Instead of worrying about what he should do, he should be worrying about her fever.

He needed ice. And water. And medicine. And something with a lot of Vitamin C.

Scrambling to his feet, Ichigo spurred into action.

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><p>Rukia stirred under her blanket. Her head felt fuzzy, her eyelids heavy, and every muscle in her body was aching.<p>

She heard footsteps, followed by a little clatter right by her ear. Groaning, she forced her eyes open.

"You awake?"

"Mmmh."

Ichigo was awkwardly standing by her bed.

"What happened?" she croaked, her throat dry.

"You're running a fever. You fainted last night. Here, drink," Ichigo urged, handing her a bottle of water.

"Thanks," she rasped, struggling to sit up. She noticed a tray on her nightstand.

"I made you tea, too, if you want something hot instead. There's medicine so remember to take it. And some rice porridge for breakfast."

"I didn't think you knew how to cook."

"I don't, I asked my sister for instructions."

Ichigo fell silent, and Rukia sipped the water.

"Well, anyway," the orange-haired man continued after a moment, rubbing his neck, "I'll tell the teachers that you're sick, so you should just take the day off and rest."

"Mh, alright," she sighed. "Thank you," she smiled tiredly, her eyes locking with his.

"Yeah, whatever," he spluttered. "I'm late for the practice," he muttered in a hurry, and quickly left the room.

Rukia sank back into the bed, feeling weak and sore but full of relief.

Thank god Ichigo hadn't found out her secret.

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><p><strong>AN** Years and years and years ago, I wanted to write an IchiRuki cross-dressing AU, inspired by _Hanakimi_. I never got around to it, so I wrote this drabble instead.

The basic premise is that Rukia used to go to an elite all female high school, but never felt at home there. She's always been a bit of a tomboy and would love nothing more than to do Kendo, but because Nii-sama is Nii-sama, he expects her to behave all proper and graceful and feminine. So Rukia runs away and enrols in an all boys high school that has a high ranking Kendo team and winds up sharing a dorm room with Ichigo.


End file.
